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W. 0. WENDTE. MULTIOOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

No. 519,461. Patented May 8,1894.

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vusmuuto I WITNESSES:

, UNITED STATES PATENT OF I E. I

WILLIAM S. WENDTE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EMMA L.

FORBES, E. SAME PLAoE.v

MULTlCOLOR-PRINTING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 519,461, dated May 8, 1894.

Application medium 30, 1893- To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WENDTE,

I a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multicolor-Print- 1ngPresses,(designated Case A,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention is related to an important class of printing machines intended for the production of pictures and ornamental delineations in two or more colors; and more specifically to those adapted to print on'sheets of paper, and on the same side of each sheet, a number of superimposed impressions each with an ink of such a color as in the aggregate will produce the desired design at every complete revolution of the press.

In the press which forms the subject matter of this invention, the sheet of paper tobe printed upon is fed to an impression-cylinder, where it is taken hold of by grippers and p then carried to two form-cylinders with both of which the impression-cylinder is connected by gearing. These form-cylinders are of equal size and are provided each with an equal number of form-supporting surfaces and, in addition, with an empty depressed space of like size. The impression-cylinder after having presented the leading edge of the sheet upon it to a form on onecylinder, presents it then to the second form in the series on the other cylinder, and to the third upon the first cylinder, and so alternately from one cylinder to the other till the forms are all printed, after which, and pending the passage of the blank spacesthe finished sheet is delivered.

In the diagrammatic drawing which forms part of this specification, the figure, shows the press I have invented, adapted for the production of colored work consisting of four superimposed impressions.

In the drawing 10 is the impression-cylinder.

12 and 14 are form-cylinders, with provision made by two form-supports on each marked 16, for the forms numbered No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, near their leading edges. In addition to these supports the spaces 20 on one cylinder between the forms No. 2 and No.

Serial No. 479,281. (No model.)

4, are left, for reasons to be hereinafter explained. The. two adjacent forms on each form-cylinder are also separated by gaps, corresponding in length to that on the impression-cylinder, and, as will be readily understood by the drawing, the Spaces 18 and 20 are themselves made up of two such gapspaces and a space equal to the length of a form. The impression-cylinder has agapand 6o grippers 22 which close upon theblank sheet of paper fed from the feed-board 24 and hold it until all the colors are printed and the leading edge has reached the stripping fingers at 26, when the grippers 22, by means of cam adjustments (which are well understood and not shown in the drawing), are thrown open, and the printed sheet passes from the impression-cylinder to the delivery tapes 28, and from them, as is usual, to a suitable table or other receptacle, not shown. The diameter of the impression-cylinder irrespective of any number of forms which may be upon each of the form-cylinders, is related definitely to that of each of the latter as one is to one and that number added. Thus, if each form-cylinder,

as in the drawing, be provided with formsupports for two forms, the diameter of each will be three times that of the impressioncylinder. And, as both form-cylinders and the impression-cylinder are geared together the latter must, inthe case of the press shown, make three fullrevolutions to accomplish the seizing, printing, and delivering of one sheet, while the former are'making but one revolution each.

'Were this a six-color press there would be three forms on one form-cylinder, and both the latter would then be four times as much in diameter as the impression-cylinder,which would then make four turns before a sheet could be printed and discharged from the press. Or were it a two-color, two revolutions of the impression-cylinder would be required for every sheet.

The relative angular position of the twoform cylinders in relation to the gap in the impression-cylinder, is such, that when the leading edge of the sheet meets the leading edge of the first form on 12 (which is marked at that place No. 1), the printing of the first color in the series begins. This is the movement shown in the drawing, the sheet, indicated by a heavy line, being partly on the packed surface of the impression-cylinder and still partly on the feed-board. After hav ing continued its revolution for a short distance the impression-cylinder brings the same edge to the leading edge of form No. 2 on 14, at the point of contact of the two cylinders, the distance it has had to travel, measured on the form-cylinder, being the same as that traveled by the gripper in moving from one point of contact to the other, measured on the impression-cylinder. Then the sheet with the second color partly printed goes on to form, No. 3 on 12, and after that to form No. 4 on 14. Before the last is quite printed the grippers are thrown open and the curved fingers 26 take the edge of the sheet and guide it to the tapes 28. The grippers have now advanced in their third revolution and as they complete it and again pass under the end of the feed-board 24 they close upon another sheet and immediately carry it down to the 1n1t1al position shown in the figure. If this sequence of printing is followed it will be seen that the spaces 18 and 20 both pass the lmpression-cylinder when there is no paper upon it and while the delivery of the sheet is taklng place; and said spaces are hence called delivery-spaces, for their function is to secure the blanket or packing on the impress on-cylinder from contact pending the delivery of a printed sheet and the feeding of a new one. It is evident therefore, that in this multicolor press the printing takes place alternately on each form-cylinder until the forms are exhausted, and then after the pas sage of the delivery spaces and the delivery of the sheet the same sequence is repeated.

As in the drawing, this machine may be drlven through the pinion 3O meshing into both cylinders. The inking of the four forms is accomplished by the several sets of inking apparatus 31, 32, 33, and 34, only one of which, 33 1s engaged in inking, at the time chosen for the drawing. Forms Nos. 1 and 2, have been inked and No. i is to be inked; all the form-rollers except those for form 3 having been lifted off their respective forms in any one of the usual well known ways, ready to drop upon them again as the work proceeds. The forms required for a press of this sort must of course be curved to conform with the form-supports on which they are to rest. This may be accomplished by using stereotype and electrotype curved plates or flexible metal plates bent over the supports and held down by well known devices. The cams for opening the grippers on the impression-cylinder, in this case after every third revolution, and closing them at the proper time on the new sheet, have not been shown as they are thoroughly understood and common in a great variety of presses.

The principle involved in my invention makes it desirable to put an equal number of forms on each form-cylinder, so that provision therefor is always made, but there is obviously nothing to prevent the printing of an odd number of forms, except that one of the form-supports would then be empty and would escape both the form-rollers and the paper on the impression-cylinder, from which it follows that the time required for the passage of the emptysupport would then be lost, the rate of production being the same as if the total number of colors were even, that is, one more than the odd number actually printed in the supposed case, which would insure a large saving.

The productiveness of this press is necessarily great, as compared with other known presses. The facilities, also, for underlaying and otherwise getting ready in the arrangement shown, are obvious; while the total bulk is not excessive. I wish it, however, understood that I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement shown, nor to any special way of actuating the moving parts, so long as the underlying principle is maintained.

In this specification, when referenceis made to the length of a form, or form-support, or impression-surface,or gap or gap-spaces,the extension of the same circumferentially in the direction of the run of the press, and at right angles to the axes of its cylinders, is always meant.

What I claim is 1. In a multicolor press adapted for printing sheets; an impression-cylinder provided with grippers, in combination and in operative contact with two form-cylinders equal to each other in size and adapted to carry an equal number of forms, each form cylinder being related in diameter to the diameter of the impression-cylinder as half the whole number of forms plus one is to one; substantially as described.

2. A multicolor printing press consisting of an impressioncylinder provided with grippers, in operative relation with two form-cylinders bearing form-supports each of length equal to the circumference of the impressioncylinder less its gap, and in addition a depressed delivery-space of like length on each form-cylinder, both delivery-spaces being adjusted angularly to pass the impression-cylinder when the same is delivering its sheet; substantially as described.

3. In a multicolor printing machine adapted for printing sheets, consisting of two formcylinders of equal size, each bearing forms and a depressed delivery-space, and driven in the same direction; in combination and operative contact with an impression-cylinder having its entire periphery occupied by an impression-surface and gap, and correspondin g in size to the forms and gap-spaces upon the form-cylinders and also to the de pressed delivery-space and gap-space upon each of the same, and adjusted angularly to receive upon the leading edge of the impression-surface the leading edges of the said forms, first from one form-cylinder and then from the othe1',in alternating sequence; substantially as described.

4. In a multicolor printing press for printing sheets, two form-cylinders of equal size provided with one or more forms and a delivery-space on each; in combination and in operativecontact with an impression-cylinder provided with an impression-surface and with grippers therefor, and arranged to make one revolution for each form on one of the form-cylinders, pending the several printings,

and one beside for the delivery-spaces on both, pending the delivery of the sheet; substantially as described.

5. A multicolor printing press consisting of an impression-cylinder in operative relation with two form-cylinders of equal size, each having forms of length equal to the packed portion of the impression-cylinder; and in addition a depressed delivery-space oflike length on each form-cylinder, together with inking apparatus for each of the forms and means for elevating and depressing said apparatus to inkor avoid any particular form as it passes; substantially as described.

WILLIAM G; WENDTE.

Witnessesz' SELWYN Z. BOWMAN, EDITH M; HOWE, 

